Russetstar's Resolve - A TB AU Novella
by Twilidramon
Summary: Russetstar is adjusting to her new position as leader of the ShadowClan. Between rogue attacks on her borders and strife from within caused by a surprising change to the warrior code, Russetstar must find the resolve to make ShadowClan stronger. Rated T for safety. **COMPLETE**
1. Allegiances

**Hello, everyone, and welcome to Russetstar's Resolve - a TB AU Novella!**

**This is a short, 10-chapter story - like the novellas - that focuses on ShadowClan and Russetstar, and serves to set up a major happening between the first TB arc and the next. It's very likely that you'll need to read the other TB stories to understand what's going on here.**

**This story has already been fully written, and will update on Fridays. Enjoy!**

* * *

**ALLEGIANCES:**_**(characters marked with a * are trans and are described with their preferred gender/pronouns)**_

* * *

**SHADOWCLAN**

Leader: Russetstar – dark ginger she-cat _(Stonepaw)_

Deputy: Blackfoot – large white tom with huge black paws

Medicine Cat: Littlecloud - small tabby tom

Warriors:

Wetfoot – gray tabby tom

Oakfur – small, dark brown tom _(Rowanpaw)_

Duskflower – black she-cat _(Nightpaw)_

*Brownfoot – mottled brown-and-ginger tabby tom

Orre – golden-brown tom

Cedarheart – gray tabby tom

Nightwing – black she-cat

Apprentices:

*Rowanpaw – dark ginger tabby

Stonepaw – thick-furred pale blue-gray tom, formerly of ThunderClan

Queens:

Tallpoppy – long-legged light brown tabby she-cat (mother of Talonkit)

Elders:

Stumpytail – brown tabby tom with a short tail

Brightflower – black-and-white she-cat

Boulder – silver tabby tom

Runningnose – small gray-and-white tom

* * *

**THUNDERCLAN**

Leader: Tinystar – very small black tom with one white paw _(Mistypaw)_

Deputy: Oakheart – a reddish brown tom

Medicine Cat: Brackenfur – golden brown tabby tom with an injured leg

* * *

**WINDCLAN**

Leader: Tallstar – black and white tom with a very long tail

Deputy: Mudclaw – mottled dark brown tom

Medicine Cat: Barkface – a short-tailed brown tom _(Ryepaw)_

* * *

**RIVERCLAN**

Leader: Leopardstar – unusually spotted golden tabby she-cat _(Stormpaw)_

Deputy: Tawnypelt – tortoiseshell she-cat _(Featherpaw)_

Medicine Cat: Mudfur – long-haired light brown tom

* * *

**CATS OUTSIDE THE CLANS**

Barley – black and white tom that lives on a farm close to the forest (Ravenpaw's mate)

Ravenpaw – sleek black cat who lives with Barley (Barley's mate)

Wolf – thick-furred gray tom, former BloodClan cat (father of Finch)

Pansy – tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat, brilliant green eyes, former BloodClan cat

Finch – very pale gray she-cat, former BloodClan cat

*Brick - very skinny, scarred dark ginger she-cat, former BloodClan cat

Jaggedtooth – huge thick-furred ginger tabby tom, former ShadowClan and BloodClan cat

Viper – muscular tabby tom, former BloodClan cat

Racket – skinny golden she-cat, former BloodClan cat

Screech – gray-and-white tom with a long gray tail, former BloodClan cat

Chestnut – solid brown tom with big yellow eyes, former BloodClan cat


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

_The black night sky was peppered_ with stars as Russetstar halted, raising her tail for her Clanmates to do the same. Her breath billowed before her eyes as she peered through the ferns. _ShadowClan is the last to arrive,_ she thought with some annoyance, looking at the flitting shapes in the clearing. One of Fourtrees's great oaks creaked ominously.

Russetstar looked back at her Clan. They were few in number compared to the other three Clans clustering below the Great Rock, and some still bore healing wounds from the battle with BloodClan two moons ago in this very clearing. More, though, bore fresher scratches. Russetstar narrowed her eyes.

"No cat speaks of the rogues," she hissed. "Understood?"

Most of them nodded in understanding. The other Clans did not need to know about the problems on ShadowClan's borders – not unless it concerned them. Which it did not. Russetstar wondered, though, if the other Clans suspected something anyway – her Clanmates were still leaf-bare thin while cats from WindClan, ThunderClan, and RiverClan were fattening as leaf-bare crawled slowly into newleaf.

_ShadowClan has dealt with much worse than a few kittypet upstarts,_ Russetstar reflected.

"Why don't we just ask another Clan to help?" wondered Stonepaw, his pale blue eyes bright in the night.

Around him the cats of ShadowClan bristled. Blackfoot, the cat Russetstar had chosen for her deputy, hissed, "ShadowClan doesn't _need_ help!"

Stonepaw narrowed his eyes indignantly.

"My order stands," Russetstar repeated firmly, looking pointedly at her apprentice. _He's going to find it even harder to fit in if he keeps that sort of attitude,_ she thought. "I'll have the whiskers of any cat who opens their mouth about it!"

Russetstar waited for a solid murmur of agreement before lifting her tail and plunging through the brittle ferns.

The clearing was full of bustling cats, all meowing greetings to ShadowClan as they mingled in with them. Pelts brushed pelts and noses touched, and Russetstar was still unsure of what to do about this newfound friendliness between the Clans. The battle with BloodClan had certainly changed their relations, especially after the tensions caused by Bluestar and her horrible schemes.

Russetstar frowned, thinking of it. Bluestar had once been a ThunderClan warrior, Bluefur – almost single-pawed she nearly destabilized the entire forest. She killed many ThunderClan cats in her ambition to be leader, conned her way into being ShadowClan's leader, and forced ShadowClan and RiverClan into a joint alliance that went against the whole of the warrior code. It had all culminated when, in an attempt to force WindClan and ThunderClan to join them, Bluestar had brought a group of Twolegplace cats called BloodClan into the forest.

Bluestar had been brutally killed by their leader, Scorch; and, in the end, all four Clans had united to drive out Scorch and BloodClan from the forest.

Russetstar swallowed uncomfortably. _Some of it was my own fault,_ she thought guiltily. She had been one of Bluestar's followers – and one of Brokentail's before her. It had left her homeless and broken-hearted, and Russetstar regretted everything about it. _ShadowClan will grow from our mistakes,_ she had vowed at her nine lives ceremony, grateful that StarClan had even granted her one life, let alone all nine. _I will make us better. Stronger. In the right ways._

She forced herself back into the present. Russetstar knew the Gathering would be starting soon – the other Clan leaders were making their way to the Great Rock, their deputies following. Not one of those deputies had served more than two moons – the battle with BloodClan and the turmoil in the forest had rid the Clans of every deputy they had. Mudclaw now served WindClan, and Oakheart was Tinystar of ThunderClan's new deputy. Tawnypelt walked alongside Leopardstar, her tail-tip flicking.

Russetstar let her eyes rest on Leopardstar. She had been absent from the previous Gathering, and Russetstar knew that many cats wondered why. Yet she looked well now, with her chin up and eyes glinting with that RiverClan pride.

Many times Russetstar wondered if she ought to ask after Leopardstar – after Bluestar's death, she and Leopardstar had led both RiverClan and ShadowClan together – but after the battle Leopardstar had shut herself off from the friends she'd made in other Clans. Russetstar would have been more disappointed if she didn't know that such behavior wasn't already in Leopardstar's nature.

It still made Russetstar's fur itch with envy. Not far away, Tinystar and Tallstar, the leader of WindClan, were walking side-by-side, pelts brushing. How could ThunderClan and WindClan maintain such good relations when Russetstar was forced to give up a good friend?

_The Clans aren't meant to be close,_ she reminded herself. _Friendships outside of one's own Clan are doomed to fade away._ Even Tinystar and Tallstar's closeness would disappear like dew in the sunshine sooner or later. All it took was putting one paw across the wrong border at the wrong time.

Russetstar began heading towards the Great Rock. She kept her ears pricked, catching snippets of conversation – mostly, she was trying to hear what her own cats were saying. So far, all she was picking up were guarded comments about how prey just wasn't running well yet in the marshes. Nothing about the tenuousness of their borders.

Not yet, anyway.

Russetstar peered through the crowd. She was looking for one cat in particular… ah – there he was. Stonepaw was with a group of apprentices from all four Clans, sitting close to a dark blue-gray she-cat. His sister from ThunderClan, Mistypaw. The way the two touched noses and curled their tails together made Russetstar's stomach clench.

_I can't blame them for wanting to be close,_ she told herself. Stonepaw had made a big decision two moons ago, pledging himself to ShadowClan and leaving ThunderClan, where he had been born. Not only that, but during the battle with BloodClan Stonepaw and Mistypaw lost their sister, Mosspaw, to a vicious BloodClan tom. It still haunted the young apprentices. But Stonepaw's loyalty was still questioned by ShadowClan's senior warriors, and if any of them saw…

Russetstar frowned, feeling badly for her apprentice as she climbed up the Great Rock. Beyond all of the troubles of acclimating to ShadowClan life, Stonepaw and Mistypaw were Bluestar's kits. No matter their Clan, there would always be cats that suspected them of following in their mother's dark pawsteps.

Tallstar raised his voice the moment Russetstar settled beside him: "Let the Gathering begin!"

The entire clearing fell silent. Dozens of eyes looked up at the four cats standing together on the Great Rock, wide and eager for news. Russetstar swallowed. It had been overwhelming, standing here for the first time last moon – but now she felt like she could handle her part without stumbling over her words.

"WindClan has good news to share," Tallstar meowed, his voice tinged with pride. "Ashfoot has given birth to three kits – the kits of Deadfoot, our late deputy. WindClan is honored to have them."

Murmurs of surprise and delight rippled through the crowd. Russetstar twitched her whiskers. Deadfoot had been an honorable cat – it was good that his memory would live on somehow.

Tallstar went on: "Barkface has also taken on an apprentice. Ryepaw will be WindClan's next medicine cat!"

Russetstar looked down at the medicine cats, huddled amongst the roots of one of the great oaks, as the Clans called out Ryepaw's name. The WindClan cat was very small, and his pale fur still looked kit-soft. _He definitely doesn't have the legs to make it running the moors,_ Russetstar thought. _Gathering herbs would be a much easier duty for him._

Tallstar nodded, indicating that he was done. Leopardstar spoke next, her voice rising high above the cry of an owl in the distance: "RiverClan life moves on despite the cold. We have kits in the nursery and elders in our dens, and Dawnpaw has received her warrior name – Dawnflower."

"Dawnflower!" the Clans cheered. "Dawnflower!"

Leopardstar raised her tail for silence. She finished: "I am in full health now, and RiverClan flows strong like the waters around us."

When Leopardstar's narrow yellow eyes bored into Russetstar, the smaller she-cat suppressed a flinch. Clearing her throat, Russetstar meowed: "ShadowClan hasn't much news. Nightpaw has been named Nightwing, and Tallpoppy has had a good kitting."

For a long moment, while the Clans were cheering for Nightwing and Tallpoppy, Russetstar wondered if she should speak about the rogues pushing at ShadowClan's borders. She wondered what might happen. Would her Clan think her weak? A hypocrite? Russetstar kept her jaws firmly shut and nodded to Tinystar.

The ThunderClan leader was, bizarrely, one of the smallest cats in the forest – at half the size of a full-grown cat, no one would think he'd been the one to rally the four Clans and defeat Scorch and BloodClan, let alone save ThunderClan from Bluestar. Yet Russetstar knew that behind those calm ice-blue eyes was an unsettling temper, and fierce love for the Clan that brought him from his kittypet roots.

"Ashpaw, Fernpaw, and Snowpaw have received their warrior names," Tinystar meowed. "They are now Ashfur, Ferncloud, and Snowstep!"

"Ashfur! Ferncloud! Snowstep!" the Clans yowled.

Tinystar meowed on: "Frostfur has decided to move to the elder's den. We wish her many long moons of rest."

"Frostfur! Frostfur!"

Tinystar's eyes scanned the crowd as his tail lifted for silence. Russetstar shifted on her paws. There was something in that gaze of his – and the other leaders could sense it, too. Tallstar's tail flicked, and Leopardstar narrowed her eyes at Tinystar.

When all was silent, the small black tom meowed: "Cats of all Clans, hear me: ThunderClan has been noticing a recent increase in kittypet and rogue activity on our borders with Twolegplace. Not all of the interactions have been malicious. We believe that groups of old BloodClan cats are trying to push back and get revenge on us for the battle two moons ago."

Russetstar frowned. _Is ThunderClan facing the same problem as we are?_ She wondered. But ThunderClan was sleek and fattening – clearly these intruders weren't a threat to ThunderClan's prey.

"I want us all to consider something important," Tinystar swept on. "The root of BloodClan's hatred for the forest, and for us, came from our Clans' constant rejection of outsiders who want the opportunity to become Clan cats themselves. I think that, following the battle with BloodClan, we cannot ignore the potential of these rogues, loners, and even kittypets – we must cast aside our prejudice!"

Tinystar looked out at the Clan cats, all stunned to silence at his words. Russetstar's heart pounded in her ears. _What are you doing, you mouse-brained ThunderClan rat?!_ She thought, her claw sliding in and out anxiously.

"We must change the warrior code!" Tinystar declared.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

_The quiet night was suddenly full _of clamoring, yowling cats. Fur bristled below, and Russetstar caught glimpse of claws unsheathing in the moonlight as the Clans reacted to Tinystar's declaration.

"What in StarClan's name?!" hissed a WindClan tom.

"Typical ThunderClan!" snapped a RiverClan warrior. "We can't just _change_ the warrior code!"

A ShadowClan cat bristled below. Russetstar recognized Cedarheart's voice as he spat: "And to let even _more_ kittypets in the Clans?! Preposterous!"

Russetstar bit back a retort for her own Clanmate. Too easily did the Clans like to forget that Tinystar wasn't the only kittypet-turned-warrior in the forest.

"Are you mad?" hissed Leopardstar, her shoulder fur bristling.

Tinystar seemed to be taking it all in stride. His fur was flat and his gaze was even as he shook his head. "No, I'm not," he insisted. He raised his voice over the crowd: "Hear me, cats of all four Clans – it has been two moons since the battle with BloodClan. We are all aware of what caused their animosity towards us. The warrior code needs to change, else I think something similar may happen again."

His pale, ice-blue eyes narrowed as the crowd became uncomfortably quiet. Tinystar's voice was dangerously even: "We cannot risk more lives on such a possibility."

Silence followed his words. Russetstar swallowed, her pelt prickling. Tinystar made sense – what would stop another BloodClan from rising? Rogues and loners were pushing at the borders – they always would. Could bringing them into the Clans really ease such attacks? Russetstar wasn't sure.

"I do not propose removing the rule that all cats shun the life of a kittypet," Tinystar went on. "In fact, I think this rule is still necessary. True warriors will always choose Clan life over all other options."

Tinystar's icy gaze turned to Russetstar, and she froze in response. He meowed, "However – not all kittypets are meant for a kittypet's life… just as not all warriors are cut out to be Clan cats." Turning to the rest of the Clans, he went on, "I posit that any cat ought to be able to fulfill their potential!"

Russetstar's pelt burned with embarrassment. _I never should have told him I came from Twolegplace,_ she thought. She glanced quickly at the cats watching with uncertainty. Had any of them guessed why Tinystar had looked to her in such a way just then?

Tallstar's tail flicked. "You must have thought this through a great deal," the old leader mused, his yellow eyes thoughtful. Raising his voice, he announced, "We Clan leaders must think about this – our answer will be given at the next full moon. Until then, this Gathering is over."

The Clans buzzed below as Tallstar leaped down off of the Great Rock. Tinystar followed him, surrounded by a ring of ThunderClan cats. His mate, Sandstorm, lowered her pale head to speak in his ear, her green eyes flashing protectively. Tinystar assured her with a flick of his tail before leading ThunderClan away.

Leopardstar squared her shoulders. "Arrogant little fool!" she hissed, before leaping down into the crowd. RiverClan awaited her.

Russetstar swallowed. She clambered down the Great Rock, careful not to slip on the moistening stone. She was met by her Clan the moment her paws touched the cool grass.

"He's ridiculous!" Blackfoot huffed immediately, coming to Russetstar's side. "The Clans can't just accept any cat from anywhere!"

"Be quiet," Russetstar snapped, annoyed and uncomfortable. _Does he forget that ShadowClan accepted me? That ShadowClan has accepted so many outsiders?_

Stonepaw pricked his ears. "I think it's a great idea," he admitted cheerfully, his blue eyes bright.

Cedarheart bristled and spat, "Of course _you_ would."

Stonepaw squared his shoulders and glared at the older warrior. Russetstar sighed. She pushed her way between them and growled, "Silence!"

Silence fell among the ShadowClan cats. Russetstar peered at them. "Any cat caught talking out of turn on the way back will have their ears raked. This discussion is over." _For now._

Russetstar pushed through her cats and led the way through the shadows towards the Thunderpath. The clearing of Fourtrees was empty now, still and cold, bathed in moonlight. StarClan had not sent clouds to cover the moon at Tinystar's words. Did they really approve of what he suggested?

* * *

The sky was lightening as Russetstar's patrol pushed through the gorse-and-fern tunnel that led into ShadowClan's camp. Russetstar grunted as a thorn caught in her pelt, and she paused for a moment on the other side to ensure she hadn't brought it with her as ShadowClan filed in from the Gathering.

ShadowClan's camp was in the heart of the marsh, sheltered by low-hanging pine branches and surrounded by boggy earth no non-ShadowClan cat would be eager to cross. The smell of peat and pine sap was home to Russetstar, and she breathed it in eagerly when she surmised her pelt was free of thorns.

_The walls look safe,_ she thought as she scanned the camp. The walls were a thick mix of gorse and thorn bushes, tangled together so tight it was like a bundle of kittens at their mother's belly. Ferns and rushes filled in the gaps and bound the walls together. Inside the camp was a clearing of hardened earth surrounding a great stone – the Clanrock – and at the edges, against the walls, were the dens. The most secure was the nursery, tightly nestled at the back of the camp, underneath the shelter of a blue-needled pine.

It had taken a lot to bring this camp back from its previous occupants – BloodClan had thrashed and trashed the camp when they took over the marshes briefly before the battle. Russetstar still dreamed of finding BloodClan rogues in the clearing instead of her Clanmates some nights.

In the center of the clearing, Brownfoot's ears pricked. The young warrior watched as irritated and annoyed Clanmates streamed into the camp. He looked at Russetstar, confused: "What happened?"

Russetstar felt Blackfoot's eyes on her. Her patrol had followed her order and kept silent on the way back. Did they really need her to tell them to talk now? She twitched her tail in irritation, a signal that he could speak.

Blackfoot snorted and recounted the night's events. His voice dripped with scorn as he spoke of Tinystar's suggestion to change the warrior code. Poor Brownfoot looked confused, his whiskers twitching.

"W-Would it really be a bad thing, though?" he wondered, glancing between Blackfoot and Russetstar hesitantly. "ShadowClan's taken in kittypets and loners before."

Blackfoot curled his lip. "We don't need any _more_," he growled. "We're having enough trouble with outsiders as it is."

Russetstar sighed. "Go to your nests," she ordered, staring at the Gathering party. "If you get heated and wake Tallpoppy's kit, we'll all never hear the end of it."

"But what do _you_ think?" Brownfoot wondered.

Russetstar looked between her young warrior and Blackfoot, her deputy. _Is my Clan divided already?_ She thought miserably. _I'm too tired for this right now._

"I need time to think," she reported. "Brownfoot, get some rest. Rouse Duskflower for a hunting patrol – I want that fresh-kill pile stocked before I wake."

Brownfoot nodded and obeyed, heading for the warrior's den – a prickly tangle of pine branches woven near beside a thistle thicket. The mottled tom disappeared into the shadows. Blackfoot followed him, grunting with annoyance as he padded across the clearing.

Russetstar didn't want to deal with this right now. She trotted across the clearing towards the hollowed-out shell of a long-dead pine trunk where she made her nest, just behind the Great Rock. She slipped in between the gnarled roots and flopped down on her moss-and-feather nest, her tail twitching with irritation.

She adjusted herself in the nest, tucking her paws beneath her and her tail around her body. The nest was still uncomfortable at times – it didn't truly feel like it was _hers_ yet. This den, this nest, had seen multiple leaders in such a short time that Russetstar could still scent Brokentail or Nightstar or Bluestar on the trunk walls sometimes. Now it was her turn, and she was determined to let her scent linger far longer than the others.

Russetstar closed her eyes. It was a hard task, bringing ShadowClan back from the brink. She had to do what no leader before her could manage. Tinystar's proposition bounced between her ears. Could a Clanborn cat bear this weight better?

_But no other one has, so far,_ she thought tiredly.

A black wave of sleep washed over Russetstar as she lowered her head. For now, rest was all that mattered. Everything else could wait.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

_Russetstar opened her eyes._

She was stiff, and hunger gnawed at her belly. Her senses felt stuffed, clogged – the smells of too many cats in too small a place stifled her scent glands as she opened her mouth to yawn. Russetstar stretched, her paws bumping against a box of Twoleg clutter.

Blinking bleary eyes, Russetstar took in her surroundings. In the gloom she could see the outlines of many cats, draped and lounging over various pieces of Twoleg furniture. The objects were barely visible under even more Twoleg clutter. Some Twoleg thing on the wall ticked irritatingly.

She sighed, looking around. Was there even a decent place to make dirt in this mess? Russetstar got to her paws. A worry for later. She opened her jaws fruitlessly, searching for food but only finding the cloying smell of the surrounding cats.

_Where is the bowl?_ She wondered. Russetstar leaped down from her perch and landed softly on the furry floor. She stalked through the clutter, picking her away around pointed boxes and odd, smooth, empty things that the kittens often found themselves stuck in.

A shifting sound in a nearby room made her start. Dropping low, Russetstar prowled to the nearby archway, her tail-tip flicking. Was it a mouse? _Loud, for a mouse,_ she thought.

Russetstar peered through the archway and into the kitchen. It was probably the least cluttered room in the Twoleg den, with cold, hard floors and bright light filtering through the windows. A stooping, elderly Twoleg was shuffling about the room, carrying about something sweet-smelling in her wrinkled, furless paws.

Food!

Russetstar padded cautiously into the kitchen, her belly rumbling. At the sight of her, the old Twoleg cooed in her harsh voice: _"Oh… there's my pretty little Red… who's a pretty kitty?"_

Russetstar flinched as the old Twoleg female patted her on the side and ran her fingers along Russetstar's dark ginger spine. Russetstar didn't purr until the old Twoleg set down the disk of food and she was able to tuck in without disturbance.

The food tasted too sweet and too wet for Russetstar's liking, but at least it wasn't the musty dry pebbles that the old Twoleg had fed them before. Something compelled Russetstar to eat until her belly bulged – there were so many cats here, who knew if there was enough food for all of them?

When she was done, Russetstar leaped up onto the kitchen counter. She could hear the old Twoleg milling through the house, waking up the other cats. How many of them were her littermates, Russetstar wondered – would she ever be able to tell in this cluster of smells and things?

Russetstar followed the counter until she could leap onto the nearest window sill. She curled her tail around her paws and stared through the cold pane of glass and into the world outside – a yard just as cluttered as the Twoleg den itself but… beyond it…

She put her paws up against the pane of glass, feeling the cold seep into her pads. Russetstar and the other cats weren't allowed outside the den. The old Twoleg female always seemed very sad at the thought of her one of her kittypets leaving her. But Russetstar could swear she could smell the outside world through the glass – rich pine scent with a sharp tang of marsh and moss – and she longed to see it, even if it upset the old Twoleg.

The glass shifted under her paws. Suddenly Russetstar found herself plummeting through the window and towards the hard earth below. Blackness hit her before she smacked against the ground and Russetstar woke with a start.

It took her a moment to recognize that she was not in her old Twoleg nest – she was in ShadowClan's camp, inside her den in the hollow tree. Her Clanmates were moving outside, some just waking. She swallowed.

_It's been so long since I dreamed of that place,_ she thought, tucking her paws under her. She gave her chest fur some quick licks to calm herself. _It was so cluttered… there were too many of us._

She shook her head of the dream and the memories. She was a Clan cat now – and while Clan life could be cluttered at times, it was nowhere near the overwhelming state of her old home. There was fresh air, always, and companionship and organization. The clearing wasn't full of old Twoleg junk to trip over, and one knew just who their littermates were.

Yes, this was far, far better.

* * *

Russetstar padded out of her den not long after waking. She'd groomed herself well in order to calm her nerves and prepare for the day. Her stomach rumbled a little, but with a glance at the fresh-kill pile she knew it could wait. There were other cats that needed feeding.

Cats were clustered in the clearing, heads bent in conversation. Russetstar flicked an ear. It wasn't hard to wonder what they were talking about: the news of last night's Gathering had to have spread by now. The loudest conversation came from the shadow of the Clanrock, where Blackfoot was squaring up with Orre, another cat who'd come from the Twolegplace around the time Russetstar had.

It was clear where the dividing line was. Russetstar narrowed her eyes at the thought. Blackfoot was clearly against, and Orre was clearly arguing for Tinystar's proposition. Blackfoot rose to his toes, trying to use his size to intimidate his Clanmate, and Russetstar groaned. Blackfoot was not the best at debate.

_I don't like this,_ Russetstar thought grimly. _It's too much like when we were following Bluestar._ Back then, you were either with Bluestar or against her – and cats against her did not last long. Russetstar knew that fact very well: after all, some cat had to do the intimidating.

"Hey, Russetstar!" Stonepaw's cheerful mew pulled Russetstar out of her thoughts. She saw her apprentice looking at her eagerly. "What're we doing today?" he wondered.

Russetstar frowned, glancing again at the fresh-kill pile. "I think we need another hunting patrol," she decided. "Get Oakfur and Rowanpaw and we'll head out."

Stonepaw's eyes brightened, and he nodded before getting to his paws and taking off towards the apprentice's den. Russetstar's tail twitched as he disappeared into the tall thistles. Stonepaw and Rowanpaw worked very well together – they seemed to be getting on well as friends, something Russetstar was glad for. Stonepaw needed all the friends he could get.

The arguing was still going on, however, as if no cat had yet noticed their leader had emerged. Russetstar's fur pricked with annoyance. She raised her voice and snapped: "What are you all doing? It's past sunhigh – there's work to be done!"

Many cats jumped in shock, turning to look at her with shame and embarrassment. _Serves them right,_ Russetstar thought with satisfaction. But there were a few – Cedarheart and, even more annoyingly, Blackfoot – who looked frustrated that she'd stopped them. Russetstar flexed her claws unconsciously.

"Changing the warrior code doesn't happen in a day," she went on. "If it happens at all. Stop this nonsense and get back to work!"

Cats cleared out almost at once. Even Cedarheart got a move on. But Blackfoot lingered, kneading his huge black paws into the earth. Russetstar blinked at him, wondering what he was thinking. Blackfoot had always been rather forward and hard-headed… and he'd always been one to follow Bluestar's orders when she set them. It made Russetstar nervous, sometimes.

"You haven't told us yet what you think of that kittypet's proposal," Blackfoot grunted.

Russetstar narrowed her eyes. "His name is Tinystar, not _kittypet,"_ she corrected. "And no, I haven't – because I need to think about it myself."

Blackfoot flicked his tail, clearly irritated that Russetstar hadn't jumped to a conclusion as quickly as he had. _He's so transparent,_ Russetstar thought.

"If I catch you riling up the Clan again, Blackfoot, I'll have to punish you," Russetstar went on, keeping her voice low. She was aware of eyes – especially Orre's – lingering on her. "Your place as deputy was meant to show trust, to make up for our past. It is not a place for you to abuse your power! Is that clear?"

Blackfoot's whiskers twitched. His pale eyes narrowed. "Yes, Russetstar. I apologize," he grunted. "I'll go and organize the patrols now." The big tom got to his paws and stalked away, waving his tail to gather cats up for the day's work.

"Good," Russetstar muttered after him.

Her tail trembled uneasily. Too often she wondered whether or not she'd made the right choice of deputy. Was Tinystar's proposal about to put Blackfoot's loyalties to the test? Would ShadowClan survive another shakeup?

Russetstar swallowed her nerves. It was only natural that cats would be divided right now. At the end of it all, ShadowClan was still a Clan – and even after all its hardship, it was still holding together. It would endure.

_It has to._

* * *

"Rowanpaw, check that sedge bush," Oakfur ordered. "Tell me what you scent."

Russetstar watched Rowanpaw nod and stalk away, lowering their body to mask their approach from any prey. Russetstar felt satisfied, watching them – clearly Rowanpaw was handling having Oakfur as their new mentor well. Jaggedtooth, Rowanpaw's former mentor, had betrayed ShadowClan and joined BloodClan after Bluestar's death. Just another thing for ShadowClan to adapt to.

Turning to her own apprentice, she saw him stalking a bird not far off. Russetstar noted that Stonepaw was still lingering in his ThunderClan training – but he was getting used to ShadowClan's stalking style. His former mentor, Sandstorm, was one of ThunderClan's best hunters. Stonepaw's skill was undeniable.

Stonepaw pounced, but missed. Russetstar's whiskers twitched as the bird flew away. Stonepaw turned back, his tail lashing. _I had that trouble, too, when I first started hunting like ShadowClan,_ Russetstar thought. She was built like a kittypet, not small and lithe like ShadowClan. Stonepaw's larger size wasn't his fault.

It brought up Tinystar's proposal in her mind. Was it really wise to let outsiders into the Clans at a whim? What would it do to the Clans in the long run if they were suddenly filled with cats that weren't acclimated to a Clan's specific territory? And what would that do to the cats who thought that Clan blood was so important?

Russetstar felt an uncomfortable pang as she pictured Bluestar on a hill of bones, watching a half-Clan cat die without emotion. She knew just what some cats were willing to do to keep Clan blood pure.

"Thinking about what Tinystar said, I guess?" Oakfur mused.

Russetstar swallowed. Was it so obvious? "Yes," she admitted. Curious, she asked, "What do you think of it?"

Oakfur shrugged. "It really doesn't bother me much. After all – look what letting in a kittypet did for ThunderClan!"

Russetstar's tail twitched. "Tinystar is too big-headed for his own good, at times," she muttered. The image of the small ThunderClan leader with a swelled head didn't bring her as much amusement as Russetstar wanted.

"All ThunderClan cats are big-headed," Oakfur pointed out. "Makes it worse when they're right."

Their conversation was interrupted by a sharp squeal. Rowanpaw emerged from the sedge, a vole in their jaws. Oakfur moved to congratulate his apprentice. Russetstar got to her paws and called Stonepaw back. _We need to move on; that vole's squeal will have alerted prey in this area._

The patrol moved on through the marsh towards the Thunderpath. On the way, Russetstar counseled Stonepaw and Rowanpaw in more pawspeak – a method of communication used primarily by ShadowClan during night-hunting. Stonepaw's grasp of pawspeak was surprising – he explained that ThunderClan had a deaf warrior, Snowstep, and that ThunderClan was learning pawspeak, too.

_Just another thing to watch for,_ Russetstar decided, marching on. Pawspeak was not exclusive to ShadowClan – deaf or mute cats in all Clans used it, too. In fact, it was said that Ravenstar, one of ShadowClan's first leaders, developed the language for his own deaf kitten, so that they could hunt and fight just as well as any other cat. Though it was for all Clans, it had originated in ShadowClan and got the most use in the marshes – it felt wrong to have other Clans using it, at times.

The roar of a Twoleg monster signaled that the patrol was getting closer to the Thunderpath. Russetstar raised her tail to gather the patrol around her – but Rowanpaw lingered.

"I smell something," they reported. They looked back to Oakfur and Russetstar. "Can I investigate?"

Oakfur looked at Russetstar questioningly. Russetstar opened her jaws. She smelled the Thunderpath's stink, yes – but Rowanpaw was right. There was something underneath it. "Keep low," she ordered. "Lead on."

Rowanpaw's eyes brightened, and they dropped their body low.

The patrol followed the young ginger cat through a patch of ferns on out onto the verge of the Thunderpath. Here it was clear of trees and growth for several fox-lengths. The cats lingered on the edge of the woods, keeping close and looking for the source of the strange smells that Rowanpaw had found. Twoleg monsters were unpredictable, and many cats had been injured by the massive beasts.

Another monster passed, stirring up a fresh wave of scent.

"I smell blood," Stonepaw reported.

"I do, too," Oakfur agreed.

Russetstar did, too – but there was something else… "This could be a trap," she cautioned. "Stay back. I'll investigate."

Oakfur bristled. "Russetstar, you can't go alone!" he hissed.

Russetstar lashed her tail. "I have nine more lives than you do, last I checked," she snapped. "If I get hit by a monster, I'll get up. None of you will. Now stay put until I signal for you."

That shut the other warrior up. Russetstar lowered her body into the cropped grass and slunk towards the Thunderpath. She followed the gray stone river, her pads pricking in the stones, and crept towards the source of the strange scents.

The Twoleg fences loomed not far ahead. Russetstar bristled, wondering if this was a trap laid for the Clan by those bothersome rogues. But as she padded on she saw a cluster of shapes close to ShadowClan's border and, more concerning, near the Thunderpath.

A bright splash of blood decorated the pavement. Russetstar followed it with her eyes and spotted a group of cats just off the Thunderpath, huddled in the verge. A skinny ginger cat was lying in their midst, their fur clotted with blood – it didn't stop Russetstar from recognizing them, though.

_She was one of the cats that fought us in the battle!_ she thought. _They're BloodClan!_

Alarm made her take a step back. Unfortunately, her backstep made a stone clatter loudly onto the Thunderpath. Cursing, Russetstar saw the cats look up. Their eyes locked on her – a bright ginger shape amidst dying greens and browns. Instantly ears pinned and fur bristled.

"Get away!" spat a big gray tom. His shoulders were broad and his paws were very large. His ears might have been tufted, if they weren't torn. His amber eyes dazzled with anger.

Instantly Russetstar felt pelts pressing against hers. Oakfur and the apprentices had come out in support, all of them crouched and growling. Tails lashed.

"Want us to attack?" Oakfur asked.

Russetstar wasn't sure. The big gray tom looked hostile, sure, but beside him a softer-looking tortoiseshell with bright green eyes had laid her fur flat. She looked at the Clans with a round, calm face and she nudged the gray tom with her head.

"Calm down, Wolf," she meowed. "They might help us!"

"We don't need _their_ help," snapped Wolf. "Get back, Pansy!"

Pansy sighed. Russetstar craned her neck, trying to look for other cats. There was only one other – a very small pale gray tabby who crouched over the injured BloodClan cat, trembling. She looked very much like Wolf.

As if he could tell Russetstar was staring, Wolf put himself between Russetstar and the young cat. He arched his back, spitting with hostility. Oakfur took a step forward, his spine bristling.

"Wolf!" hissed Pansy. "Brick is _really_ hurt – stop!"

Russetstar hissed to Oakfur, "Get back!"

Confused, Oakfur stepped back. Stonepaw and Rowanpaw were huddled together, claws unsheathed. Even their fur wasn't sure what to do.

Russetstar straightened her spine and padded forward. "I am Russetstar, leader of ShadowClan," she meowed calmly, looking at Pansy. "Why are you on our territory?"

"We don't mean to be," Pansy responded. "Please… our friend needs help. She'll die!"

Russetstar swallowed, looking down at the BloodClan she-cat. Brick was wheezing, blood oozing from too many claw marks. She really would die without aid – any cat could see that.

"We are _not_ taking Brick to the Clans!" Wolf insisted. "They'll kill her!"

"We will not," Oakfur insisted. "We have a medicine cat – he can fix her wounds better than anything you could find in time. Littlecloud wouldn't let anything happen to a cat in need."

Russetstar was grateful for Oakfur's support. Sensing that they were to drop hostilities, Stonepaw and Rowanpaw flattened their fur, too.

"Who did this to her?" Russetstar asked. "Are they still in the area?"

"Was it a monster?" Rowanpaw wondered, their eyes huge.

Wolf finally relaxed his spine. His fur, however, remained ruffled. Perhaps that was just how his pelt was. "It was no monster," he spat. "It was those BloodClan flea-bags!"

Russetstar exchanged a confused glance with Oakfur. _But… isn't Brick already BloodClan? Why would they turn on her like this?_

It was a conflicting decision. Russetstar frowned at the strangers. Brokentail would have the cats killed. Bluestar would have, too. Russetstar flattened her ears. She was not like them – such thoughts didn't even cross her mind.

What would Nightstar have done?

Russetstar had no idea. She could only do what her heart was telling her.

"You're coming back with us," she declared. "Oakfur, help them carry Brick."

Oakfur nodded. He looked uncertain, still, but he wasn't hesitating. "It's the right thing to do," he told her quietly. "But the Clan won't be happy when they find out they're BloodClan."

"Tch!" spat Pansy. Her ears were obviously keen. "There's really not a true BloodClan left anymore; they all split off after Scorch died. It's chaos back there."

"Because of the _Clans,"_ insisted Wolf, his eyes narrowed to green slits. "The irony."

"We'll help Brick," Russetstar meowed, "but then you can be on your way. Now follow us, please."

Oakfur and Wolf gingerly picked up Brick between them, hefting the injured she-cat easily, as she was clearly nothing more than skin and bones. Stonepaw and Rowanpaw shifted themselves naturally to the back of the line as Russetstar led them off the verge and into the woods.

_Oh StarClan,_ she thought. _Let me have done the right thing!_


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

_Littlecloud was ready and waiting for_ Russetstar's patrol as they pushed through the gorse-and-fern tunnel and back into the ShadowClan camp. The small tabby tom dismissed Rowanpaw with a flick of his tail. Russetstar was glad she sent the apprentice ahead of them – the stink of Brick's blood was only growing stronger.

Russetstar was acutely aware of her Clanmates lining up in the clearing to look at the odd procession – Russetstar's patrol, bringing in foul-smelling rogue cats? One of them badly injured? Russetstar spotted more than one cat's eyes narrow in suspicion.

Littlecloud was not one of them. Russetstar was grateful for the young cat – apprenticed too early by Brokentail, suffering through sickness and famine and Bluestar's leadership and coming out as ShadowClan's sole medicine cat thanks to Runningnose's training. ShadowClan was lucky to have a compassionate and thoughtful cat like him.

"Come to the den," Littlecloud mewed. "I'll take a better look at her there."

Russetstar nodded, flicking her tail for her patrol to follow. Oakfur and Wolf hefted Brick's body behind her as she followed Littlecloud into the medicine cat's den.

ShadowClan's medicine den was placed at the very back of the camp, hidden in the roots of a leaning pine tree. Plants grew well here thanks to the boggy ground, and Russetstar's nose was almost immediately clogged with the scent of horsetail and chervil, which grew especially well in the boggy soil.

Littlecloud gestured to a nest – primped with fresh moss, and clearly made promptly after Rowanpaw's explanation of what was going on. Oakfur and Wolf gently set Brick down there, and Russetstar had to press her back against the ferns to keep out of their way. ShadowClan's medicine den was rather small, probably smaller than any other Clan's medicine den.

Wolf lingered over Brick's bloody body, but Littlecloud shooed him away confidently. "There's too many cats in here," the medicine cat mewed. "Leave me be."

The rogue bristled – but Oakfur meowed, "There's no better cat to keep an eye on her than Littlecloud."

"I'm supposed to trust that?" snorted Wolf. But the gray tom relented and stalked out of the den. Oakfur followed, his whiskers twitching with frustration.

Russetstar couldn't blame either cat for being annoyed – Wolf had no idea what medicine cats were capable of. _Does he think we'll kill her?_ Russetstar thought. _Rogues!_

"You clear out too, Russetstar," Littlecloud insisted, waving his tail at her. "The Clan is going to have questions."

Russetstar sighed. "I'm not looking forward to this," she admitted.

"If anyone can handle things, it's you," Littlecloud assured her, his amber eyes sparkling with friendship. "Just remember to keep your chin up and _look_ like you're confident in what you're doing – even if you're really not."

Russetstar purred her thanks before leaving Littlecloud to his new patient. Yes, ShadowClan's medicine cat was far, far from the cat he'd started out as.

The clearing was buzzing with confusion, all of ShadowClan gathered in the shadow of the Clanrock around the strangers. Pansy and Wolf were bristling, their bodies protecting the small gray she-cat between them. Oakfur was trying to buffer away the more threatening cats, like Blackfoot and Cedarheart, but he was only one cat himself.

Russetstar's whiskers twitched. _Some of my cats are behaving like mouse-brained kits!_ She thought crossly as she ascended the Clanrock. Her Clanmates quieted down when they realized she was about to call a meeting. From the top of the Clanrock, Russetstar looked down at her Clan. Cedarheart spat something at Wolf, who narrowed his eyes and hissed back. _Mouse-brains!_

She had to stop herself from scolding her Clanmates aloud. "Cats of ShadowClan – as you are all now aware, we have guests."

"Who are they?" demanded Blackfoot, his yellow eyes narrowing. "BloodClan?"

"They _look_ like BloodClan," admitted Brownfoot, his tail flicking. "Wasn't that ginger she-cat in the battle?"

Speculative mews rose. Russetstar lashed her tail, frustration burning under her fur. _Let me finish speaking!_ She thought.

"My patrol found them beside the Thunderpath," Russetstar went on firmly. "One of them was wounded, so we brought her back to be examined by Littlecloud. These cats will leave as soon as their companion is treated."

Blackfoot bristled. "Their _companion_ was one of BloodClan's most influential cats!" he hissed. "You're just going to let them in?! You can't be serious!"

"Yeah!" mewed Duskflower. "I remember that gray tom, too – he was in the battle!"

Wolf bristled. "You're still hung up on that battle?" he spat. "That's _long_ gone in our minds. There are so many other things to worry about!"

"That battle nearly destroyed us!" growled Blackfoot, thrusting his muzzle into Wolf's face. The gray tom held his ground. "Do you know how many of our Clanmates _died_ because of BloodClan?"

Wolf lashed his tail and opened his jaws, but Pansy pushed her way between the two fighting toms. Her bright eyes flashed. "It's not like we _want_ to be here either!" she snapped. "We just want to take care of our friend and then leave."

"You can take your _friend_ and go," Cedarheart growled. "We don't want any of you here!"

To Russetstar's frustration, there was a ripple of agreement from her Clanmates. _Don't any of you have any empathy?_ She thought, remembering the life Yellowfang had given her. _Get control of them, Russetstar, before they start a fight!_

"Stop, all of you!" Russetstar snarled. She leaned over the lip of the Clanrock, her shoulders bristling and casting a menacing shadow. She lashed her tail with frustration. "Are you kits or warriors?"

Blackfoot flicked an ear. "Don't you think these cats are related to the ones harassing us?" he hissed. "We can't take the risk of letting them into our camp, Russetstar!" Mews of agreement followed his words.

Pansy frowned. "We don't know anything about harassing you," she admitted. "We've not set paw on Clan land since the battle. Twolegplace is in chaos since BloodClan broke up; it's hard to make sense of who's doing what unless you're the one doing it."

"And we're supposed to trust your word on that?" Cedarheart wondered.

"My word is all I have," Pansy pointed out.

Russetstar frowned. "These cats are not staying permanently – just until their friend has recovered from her wounds," she reminded. "Then they will be on their way."

"And how long will that be?" Orre wondered. The golden tom's voice was questioning, not filled with hostility. Russetstar was grateful that at least one cat wasn't trying to jump Pansy and Wolf with claws unsheathed.

"Brick's injuries are serious," reported Littlecloud. The small tabby pushed his way out of the medicine cat's den and faced the Clan from the shadow of the Clanrock. "I don't know yet the extent of the damage. She'll need at least a half moon."

Funnily enough, both Wolf and Blackfoot looked sour at the news. Russetstar hid a mrrow of amusement – the two were very much alike, it seemed – but more importantly, Russetstar realized that she had an important decision to make.

Would she break her word and send the cats away? It would certainly please her Clanmates, but Russetstar knew she would feel lousy after. Too many leaders of ShadowClan had broken their word in the past – did she want to become another one?

"They are staying," Russetstar reported firmly, "as I promised."

Blackfoot's eyes opened wide with shock – and then narrowed with annoyance.

"By the warrior code, my word is law," Russetstar pointed out. "No cat is to attack or wrongfully antagonize our guests."

"So they're to stay here and fatten themselves on our prey?" Tallpoppy had been quiet from her corner of the camp near the nursery, but now she was standing, her long legs drawing her up to her full height. "My kit will starve!"

Pansy's tail flicked. She looked sympathetically on Tallpoppy and meowed, "We'll do no such thing! We can work for our own food."

Wolf frowned. "Absolutely. I don't want to owe you Clan cats a thing!"

"Then the matter is ended," Russetstar decided. "Rowanpaw and Stonepaw, I want you both to start fixing up nests for our guests in the apprentice's den. They will sleep with you while they stay here." Both apprentices nodded, looking eager to have new denmates. "Blackfoot, I want you to work our guests into the patrol schedule, but keep them from the borders. We don't need the other Clans asking questions."

Blackfoot frowned. "As you wish, Russetstar."

"This meeting is over," Russetstar decided. "ShadowClan, be on your way."

Russetstar watched from the top of the Clanrock as her Clan broke up into small, muttering groups. Too many of them narrowed their eyes at the strangers as they spoke with Blackfoot. The ShadowClan deputy seemed to be begrudgingly speaking to Pansy, while Wolf was licking the smaller gray rogue between her ears.

_Did I make the right decision?_ Russetstar wondered. She did not miss cats like Cedarheart throwing her a bitter glance. _Could this destroy my Clan again?_


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

_Russetstar pushed her way through the _gorse-and-fern tunnel, pausing in the clearing to adjust her grip on the blackbird in her jaws. She was satisfied with the catch – the bird was fattened well compared to prey from just yesterday – newleaf was clearly well on its way to the marshes.

She set her catch down on the fresh-kill pile, which was sheltered in the hollow of a log. The pine scent that still clung to the bark helped hide the prey from predators that might think it worth invading for. There had already been good hunting this morning, apparently – two mice and a frog already lay in the pile. Russetstar couldn't help but smile.

_Things are finally starting to look up,_ she thought. Maybe if the prey was starting to get plentiful again, those annoying rogues from Twolegplace or BloodClan or whatever they called themselves would stop pestering her Clan.

Russetstar turned her head, and her good mood melted instantly.

Blackfoot and Wolf were standing nose to nose, bristling, tails lashing. Behind Wolf was Finch – the small gray she-cat that seemed to always stay in Wolf's shadow. Pansy had introduced her properly before the rogues took to their temporary nests for their first night in ShadowClan's camp. Russetstar sighed and padded over to the two bickering toms.

"What is this?" she asked dryly. _Are these two destined to be at one another's throats? It's been one night and I'm tired of it already._

Blackfoot did not look away from Wolf. "Our guests are not doing their promised fair share," he growled. "That one – Finch – hasn't done a thing yet."

Wolf bristled and squared his shoulders. "Finch is only five moons old!" he snapped back. "She's too young to do much."

"She can hunt," Blackfoot pointed out.

Russetstar sighed. "No, she can't," she meowed impatiently.

Blackfoot narrowed his eyes at her. Russetstar lashed her tail. "Rogues or not, these cats are in Clan borders now. They're staying with us, and we follow the warrior code. What does the warrior code say about kits hunting or fighting or patrolling?"

"They… cannot," Blackfoot mumbled. He took a pawstep back, looking at his paws.

"Exactly," Russetstar mewed heavily. _This is _not_ a rule ShadowClan will break ever again. _She looked to Wolf. "Our warrior code states that kits under six moons are to stay in camp, in the nursery with their mothers or their caretakers. Finch will not participate in hunting or patrolling – but perhaps she can spend time in the nursery with Tallpoppy instead?"

Wolf frowned, glancing down at Finch. "Would you like that?" he asked.

Finch cowered, clearly still wary of Blackfoot, who was easily twice her size. "Will… Will Tallpoppy even like me?" she wondered. Her voice was quiet and small, filled with wariness.

Russetstar lowered her muzzle to meet the kit's eye. "You are just a kit, Finch. Whatever BloodClan did, you were far too young to be involved. Tallpoppy will see that, no doubt. Why don't you go and see if she needs help?"

Finch still looked very uncertain – but a nod from Wolf at least made the kit unbend her spine. Wolf licked her between the ears and sent her off with a bump of his muzzle. Russetstar watched the little gray cat hesitate before stepping into the tangled thicket of the nursery.

Russetstar turned her head back to her deputy. "Blackfoot, I want you to patrol near the Thunderpath, where we found Wolf and his friends yesterday. See if anyone came to check on them."

Wolf curled his lip. "If they're still there, claw them," he suggested. "They're no friends of ours."

Blackfoot nodded. "I'll get on that, and I'll be sure to keep an eye on the place," he added.

"Good," Russetstar agreed.

Blackfoot nodded to Wolf – as much an apology as he'd give – and padded away. He pulled over Cedarheart and Rowanpaw with a flick of his tail and his patrol disappeared into the gorse-and-fern tunnel. Russetstar frowned, wondering what he'd find out there, and hoping it wasn't conflict.

Wolf huffed. "He's your deputy, right? Your second? He's so unagreeable!"

Russetstar twitched her whiskers. "A deputy doesn't need to agree with their leader all the time," she pointed out. "The best ones will challenge their leader if they think it necessary."

_But even a rogue sees how insubordinate Blackfoot is,_ Russetstar thought crossly. _He needs to grow out of that if we're going to take ShadowClan into a better future. The point is to _stop_ fighting so much!_

Russetstar did not want to linger on the subject of her deputy. "Finch is your daughter, no?" she guessed.

Wolf flicked an ear, looking down at his paws. "Yes," he admitted. "Her mother died. It's been hard keeping her spirits up the past moon."

"I'm sorry," Russetstar offered.

"I don't want pity," Wolf grunted. His green eyes bored into Russetstar. "I just want us to be safe."

* * *

Evening was casting a dull orange glow on the clearing as Russetstar pushed her way into the medicine cat's den.

Littlecloud was tending his patient, dabbing Brick's rumpled pelt with a bit of soaked moss. The ginger she-cat's side was still barely stirring, and there was a bit of mulched prey near her muzzle. Russetstar grimaced – clearly there was little improvement.

Littlecloud admitted as much: "Not much to see today," he reported. "Just cleaning up her wounds so that I can get a better look."

"How long do you think it will be?" Russetstar asked.

Littlecloud sighed. "I don't know. But from what I can see… Russetstar, I don't think Brick will be going anywhere if she recovers."

Russetstar frowned. She sat beside Littlecloud, looking down at the ragged old she-cat. Her fur was still caked with blood, and Russetstar could clearly see deep wounds all over her body. Brick might have been an enemy moons ago, but now she was dying, and Russetstar didn't like that. "Are you sure?" she whispered.

"There's internal damage," Littlecloud meowed. "And her body is old." The small tom turned his round face to Russetstar, his eyes full of pity. "She needs to stay here, Russetstar. She'll die out there, but if we keep her as an elder… we can at least make her last moons comfortable."

Russetstar swallowed. "The rogues aren't going to like hearing that," she meowed. _Nor will the Clan._

"I know," Littlecloud agreed, "but given time they'll understand. There's no way they'll be able to keep her alive wherever they're going."

Russetstar closed her eyes tight and sighed. _Yet another complication,_ she thought. _StarClan is clearly testing me._

* * *

"She… can't come?" Pansy's eyes were wide. "That's…"

"It's got to be a load of mouse-dung," Wolf growled.

Russetstar shook her head. "Littlecloud knows what he's talking about. He even asked Runningnose – that's his old mentor – for a second opinion. Brick must stay if she's to live."

Wolf's eyes flashed in the darkness. Russetstar saw his shoulders bristle. Pansy laid her tail along his spine, her eyes filled with sorrow.

"She… tried to rebuild BloodClan," Pansy admitted quietly. She glanced about for other ShadowClan cats before going on: "She was all that was left of Scorch's inner circle. Brick wanted to keep BloodClan together, but too many cats wanted to lead. She ended up cast out of her own territory, with only a few cats following."

"Now it's just us," Wolf muttered bitterly.

Russetstar frowned, drawing her tail close. "You're still welcome to stay," she meowed. "Get your strength back and continue on, to wherever you were going."

Wolf narrowed his eyes. "And what good is a home without someone to lead us?" he wondered.

Before Russetstar could reply, Wolf whipped away. The gray tom slipped into the apprentice's den and curled up, his back to the clearing. Russetstar blinked, feeling a pang of sympathy for him.

"He'll calm down," Pansy assured her. "He's just handling this his own way. He's lost a lot, you know."

Russetstar nodded in understanding. "Let me know what you decide – until then, you can stay."

"Thanks," Pansy purred. She touched her nose to Russetstar's. "You remind me of Brick, you know, in her younger days."

Russetstar's ear-tips burned at the gesture, and at how surprisingly good the tortoiseshell she-cat smelled. Pansy moved her muzzle away, twitching her whiskers in amusement. She mewed, "I'm sorry we've caused so much trouble for your Clan."

"It's alright," Russetstar mewed, forcing her composure back. "Rogues staying in ShadowClan are not a new thing. We've a long history of accommodating others – many cats try to forget that."

"That's a shame," Pansy chuckled. "After all, don't the same cats get boring, day in and day out? G'night, Russetstar."

The pretty she-cat got to her paws and headed to the apprentice's den, leaving Russetstar sitting in the shadows. She kneaded her paws into the cold earth, thinking of Pansy's words and how similar they were to Tinystar's at the last Gathering – it didn't take much thinking to put them into the same conversation.

_But should the Clans just accept anyone who asks?_ She thought, watching Pansy settle down in the apprentice's den. _Wouldn't that only cause more trouble? Rogues are rogues and kittypets are kittypets… their only loyalties are to themselves._

Yet even as she thought such a thing, she knew it couldn't be wholly true – after all, she had been a kittypet herself not long ago. So had Tinystar and Cloudtail, and so had many others in ShadowClan, like Orre. The hypocrisy made her shoulders bristle. _The warrior code says that we might all be cats, but… we're not the same._

_Are we?_


	7. Chapter 6

**I don't really have plans to go on beyond my PoT/OotS merged third arc for this series - so that means SkyClan will only be mentioned in passing. I have no desire as of right now to adapt any of the super editions, either. It's likely that I'll make a post about that situation on my Warriors Tumblr (twilights-800-cats) when I get closer to the end, or when I get to reading AVoS/tBC, or whenever I feel like it honestly. Managing five Clans is just something I don't want to deal with right now, but maybe another AU I write will tackle it.**

**As for Rowanpaw's biological sex... like the original series, they were born female. They're currently figuring out the identity and labels that fit them best.**

* * *

**Chapter 6**

_Days passed._

Russetstar emerged from her den to warm sunshine, stretching each of her legs in turn. Finally it seemed like the weather was turning to newleaf. Prey was on the fresh-kill pile, fattening up from new growth. Littlecloud seemed to always be carrying fresh shoots of horsetail or marigold or whatever herb he could find.

The patrols Blackfoot sent out still reported rogue activity on the Twolegplace border, but so far there were no new attacks. Russetstar wondered if the BloodClan remnants were finally getting bored with hit-and-run attacks and finally decided to leave ShadowClan alone. She hoped that was the case. ShadowClan still had seasons to go before they could face a threat like BloodClan.

Russetstar scanned the camp, her eyes adjusting to the dimming evening light. A hunting patrol was padding into camp, their jaws laden with prey. Wolf was among them. Pansy was taking prey to Littlecloud, and visiting Brick too, Russetstar guessed. The old she-cat had finally woken up two sunrises ago, weak but somewhat stable. Littlecloud was hesitant to move her.

Movement near the nursery caught Russetstar's attention. Stonepaw was coming out, moss tucked under his chin. Finch followed, rolling a soiled ball of moss with her surprisingly broad muzzle. Tallpoppy's eyes flashed appreciatively at the two in the gloom.

Russetstar tried to contain a purr. Finch had opened up considerably under Tallpoppy's care. Perhaps the little cat really missed having a mother to dote on her. Stonepaw and Rowanpaw had been very friendly to the young cat, too. Russetstar watched Finch chatter excitedly with Stonepaw and wondered where the shy, scared little kitten had gone.

In fact… it seemed like all the newcomers were fitting in well. Wolf was sharing prey with Orre and Brownfoot near the warrior's den. He looked awkward at first, but a nudge from Orre got his whiskers twitching. Pansy was leading Littlecloud out of the medicine cat's den and out to eat in the sunlight – Russetstar caught snatches of Pansy trying to convince the small tabby medicine cat that he needed a moment without work, much to Littlecloud's protest.

They were participating in patrols and hunting more than their fair share. Russetstar had even caught Brownfoot explaining some bits of the warrior code to Wolf and Pansy, whose ears were pricked curiously. The thought caught in Russetstar's throat that perhaps the strangers were becoming less strange… and she had to force herself to stop wondering if they would stay.

_They would be an asset to ShadowClan,_ she thought. _Our numbers are so few… but I cannot expect it of them._ It seemed like StarClan had summoned these strange cats to prove Tinystar's point about the warrior code needing to change – but Russetstar just wasn't sure yet whether or not these cats could be trusted.

As if to prove her point, another patrol pressed their way through the gorse-and-fern tunnel, led by Blackfoot's broad white shoulders.

Russetstar met them in the middle of the clearing. Blackfoot raised his tail, sending the other members of his patrol away – but his expression was too transparent. Clearly something had happened, and the whole Clan was taking notice and edging closer, ears pricked.

"BloodClan cats trampled all over that spot near the Thunderpath," Blackfoot reported, hissing through his teeth. "You know, that spot where Wolf and Pansy were?"

Russetstar's tail bristled. _After being so silent, why now? Were they trying to lure us into a false sense of security?_ "What else?" she asked.

Blackfoot's eyes darted around the clearing, as if he were measuring the others watching them. He took a deep breath and growled, "It stank of Jaggedtooth."

Gasps rose from the cats around them. Russetstar's pelt bristled with indignation.

"Worse than that," Blackfoot went on, "the traitor decided to mark that area as if it belonged to him!"

"How dare he!" snapped Tallpoppy from by the nursery. "Traitor!"

"He knows it'll get under our skin," Orre pointed out, lashing his tail. "We can't let this stand."

Eyes turned to Russetstar, who closed her eyes to think. Jaggedtooth was clearly leading his own group of BloodClan cats now – perhaps the same cats who were antagonizing ShadowClan. It would make sense. Russetstar wished now that she had dug her claws into that traitor's throat in the battle at Fourtrees instead of letting him go.

"It's a trap," Wolf meowed. His gruff voice made Russetstar open her eyes. The gray tom had pushed his way through the crowd and up to Russetstar and Blackfoot. "They aren't stupid – they know how much Clan cats care about scent markers, and with a former Clan cat on their side there's no doubt it's a set-up."

Blackfoot bristled, but to his credit it seemed to be more out of habit than anything else. "What do you suggest, then?" Blackfoot wondered.

Russetstar was shocked at her deputy was talking to Wolf as if he were just another warrior. Wolf seemed just as taken aback – but he shook his head of it and suggested, turning to Russetstar, "Jaggedtooth and his followers are probably waiting for you to go and re-mark the border. If they're going to ambush us regardless, then maybe we ought to counter – ambush_ them_ instead."

Frowning over the idea, Russetstar eventually nodded. "It seems a sound strategy," she admitted. "We know this territory far better than some Twolegplace rabble – and ShadowClan cats are the masters of silent stalking. If we hit them hard and fast they ought to flee."

"If it doesn't work," Pansy suggested from where she stood by Duskflower, "we could try driving them into the bogs. They'll turn tail then!"

Purrs of amusement rose from the ShadowClan warriors. Russetstar blinked appreciatively at her Clan for not chiding Pansy for her suggestion. With a glance at the tortoiseshell she-cat Russetstar knew she would be sad if Pansy and her group decided to leave when all was said and done.

"So we'll need two patrols," Blackfoot surmised. He looked at Russetstar. "Who ought to be on them?"

Russetstar's tail twitched and she looked to Wolf. "Any suggestions?" she wondered. "You know these cats better than we do."

Wolf's whiskers twitched, his green eyes darkening. "Jaggedtooth is a bully and so are the cats that follow him – they like easy targets."

"We'll go," Pansy offered. She padded up to Wolf and stood beside him, her head raised confidently. "Jaggedtooth's cronies will know us – and it's probably us they want."

"But won't they get suspicious if it's you?" Russetstar wondered, looking between Wolf and Pansy. "Surely by now they know you've taken shelter with us."

Pansy glanced at Wolf, who shook his broad gray head. "I know those types," he growled. "I can keep them talking until you get into position." His claws flashed, sinking into the soft earth. "And I can make them strike before they know what they're doing."

Blackfoot's ear twitched. "And you're just fine being our bait?" he snorted. His yellow eyes regarded Wolf and Pansy evenly. "No other motive?"

Wolf did not thrust his muzzle into Blackfoot's face at the challenge, like he would have days ago. Now he meowed calmly, "These cats have done a great lot of damage, to you and to us. In the end all I want is a place where my friends and I can live in peace. Stop being so thickheaded, Blackfoot."

Blackfoot curled his lip, but did not bite back.

"It's a better plan than nothing," Russetstar cut in, before any more arguing might be done. She raised her voice: "These BloodClan stragglers have annoyed ShadowClan for too long. It's time to teach them a lesson they won't forget. We move out at moonrise!"


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

_Russetstar pressed her belly against the_ pine needles, hunkering herself down just out of sight behind a clump of horsetail and ferns. Her tail was low – she could feel Blackfoot's breath on it, stirring her dark ginger fur. When the time came she would tap his nose with her tail-tip and their patrol would move out – until then, though, all the ShadowClan cats could do was watch.

They had positioned themselves just before the edge of the slope that led down to the Thunderpath. A monster rolled by, its bright eye-light illuminating Wolf and Pansy below as they moved towards the stinking scent markers placed by Jaggedtooth and his gang. Wolf sheltered Pansy from a splash of water from one of the monster's paws, but the two kept moving.

Russetstar kneaded her paws into the pine needles, thankful that they hid sound so well. Wolf and Pansy were quickly in position, both of them making sure to sniff at the markers and twitch their whiskers warily, looking very much like they were scared but curious.

When they reached the place where Brick had lain, the bushes rustled. A muscular tabby tom appeared, followed by three others – a golden she-cat, a gray-and-white tom, and a cat so brown he looked like tree bark. Russetstar tensed.

Wolf and Pansy were quickly surrounded in a half-circle, with the brown tom threatening their heels. The big tabby tom stepped forward, his eyes narrowing with satisfaction at Wolf.

"What are you doing here, Viper?" Wolf hissed, feigning surprise with his green eyes narrowed to slits and his thick neck fur bristling.

A ripple of amusement passed through the BloodClan cats – and they were former BloodClan, Russetstar noted. At least one of those rogues – the golden she-cat - was hobbling on those dog-tooth-claws that BloodClan had killed many with. The gray-and-white tom sported a collar studded with crooked teeth. None had pelts free of scars.

"We wanted to kill some Clan cats," breathed Viper, squaring his broad shoulders before Wolf. "Didn't think we'd see _your_ faces here. Is that old bag Brick finally dead? Where's the kit, what's her name – Finch, was it?"

Wolf bristled more. Pansy unsheathed her claws. Russetstar readied her tail to signal the attack, sensing that Viper was trying to goad Wolf. In that moment Wolf and Pansy were not guests, they were Clanmates – and Russetstar would not watch a Clanmate die.

"It's none of your business," hissed Wolf, taking a pawstep back. Pansy followed him, spitting at the brown tom who paced behind them.

Viper growled, "If Brick is dead then good riddance. After all, who wants a BloodClan without the blood? It was never about being peaceful and frolicking in flowers or whatever fox-dung that old bag of bones wanted. We're not queens, we're _killers…_ and we enjoy it."

He tilted his head. "Have you finally realized that?" Viper wondered. "Did you come to join us, finally?" The tabby's eyes flashed to Pansy. "Or do I have to kill another cat you care about?"

Wolf's tail twitched, and Russetstar realized exactly what had happened to Wolf's mate.

"I'm not fighting for _you_," Wolf spat. "Never."

Wolf let out a screech of fury and lunged at Viper, tackling the tabby tom into the grass. The brown tom hissed and lunged at Pansy. Suddenly cats were screeching and yowling in the dark. A monster drove by and illuminated Wolf fighting off Viper and the golden she-cat, while Pansy faced off with the two others.

Russetstar flicked Blackfoot's nose with her tail. ShadowClan rose as one, and Russetstar let out a battle cry as they streamed out of the cover and down to the Thunderpath. She followed, tearing up the oily grass with her paws.

"I thought your pelt stank!" snapped Viper, swatting at Wolf. He glared at the Clan cats flooding over his group with claws flashing and battle cries echoing in the air. "I didn't think you'd go to those cowardly _Clan_ cats!"

Wolf thrust his claws at Viper. "They've got more honor and strength in them than any of you lot," he hissed. "It's cats like you and Jaggedtooth that are the cowards!"

Russetstar rammed her shoulder into Viper, tossing him on his side. Wolf descended on his old enemy, hatred glittering in his green eyes as he sank his teeth into Viper's throat. Russetstar glanced away as Viper let out a screech of pain and terror that was swiftly cut off.

Wolf raised his bloodied muzzle and spat, looking at Russetstar, who forced herself to face him. The gray tom dipped his head in thanks before leaping off to support Stonepaw.

Russetstar swallowed, glancing at Viper. She shook her head and forced herself back into the fight, which wasn't over yet.


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"_So _you_ are the great leader_ of ShadowClan now?"

Russetstar skidded to a halt in the grass, her tail fluffed up at the growl from behind her. She turned her head, wary of the fighting cats around her, and narrowed her eyes when she saw Jaggedtooth emerging from the shadows.

The moons in Twolegplace hadn't been kind to the once-formidable ShadowClan warrior. His muscle clung to his ragged pelt and his eyes flashed with hunger as he stalked towards Russetstar. Still, he swatted those in his way – Clan or rogue – with enough strength to push them aside. Russetstar tensed.

"Jaggedtooth," she hissed. "I never thought I'd see your traitorous face again!"

Jaggedtooth's fur rose along his spine. "_You're_ the traitor, Russetstar – you betrayed everything Bluestar tried to accomplish!"

Russetstar's neck fur bristled. "She _failed_, you fox-breathed mouse-brain!" she seethed, turning to face Jaggedtooth. Her tail lashed in frustration. "Bluestar failed. Darkstripe failed. Brokentail failed. _They all failed!"_

Jaggedtooth's eyes narrowed. "So what chance do you think _you_ have?"

Russetstar unsheathed her claws. "I will never be the leader Bluestar or Brokentail were. Believe it or not, Jaggedtooth, it's not hard to be a decent warrior. Not that you'd ever know that."

Jaggedtooth curled his lip and sprang. Russetstar ducked beneath him. She heard him land behind her with a huff. Russetstar spun on her back paws to claw Jaggedtooth's flanks, but the big tom was surprisingly fast – he'd already turned himself, and the two were locked in face-to-face combat.

His claws were sharp – they stung as they raked Russetstar's cheek. Russetstar bit at his throat, but Jaggedtooth leaned back. She ducked under a swipe of his big paw, snatching his other foreleg in her jaws instead. Jaggedtooth yowled as she bit, and Russetstar felt his claws against her spine.

Russetstar let him go, stinging all over. She shook her pelt to clear her head, feeling droplets of blood running down her cheek. She and Jaggedtooth circled one another, tails lashing and teeth bared.

Russetstar gathered her haunches beneath her and sprang, but Jaggedtooth was ready – he ducked and, when Russetstar was just about to land on his shoulders, he sprang upward, thrusting his body into Russetstar's. The air fled Russetstar's lungs and she gasped for breath as she was flung sideways like a bothersome kitten.

Jaggedtooth loomed over her. Russetstar scrabbled for breath, sucking in great gulps of air – until Jaggedtooth pressed one of his big, heavy paws down on her throat. Russetstar choked, suddenly cut off from precious air.

"You can't lead a Clan with altruism," Jaggedtooth hissed. Russetstar tried to push him off, feeling the strength fading from her limbs. It felt as if she were floating. "You and I both know what it takes to _truly_ rule – and when I'm through with ShadowClan, the whole forest will see the lessons I've learned!"

Blackness crowded Russetstar's vision. Jaggedtooth's voice was a crackling whisper at the edge of her hearing. Russetstar tried again to breathe but Jaggedtooth's paw closed tighter on her windpipe, and Russetstar felt herself floating away into nothingness.

* * *

She was alone in the Twoleg nest, closed in with the clutter and the silence. Russetstar's tail twitched uncomfortably – she felt as if she were choking on all the smells, even though there was no other creature here but her.

She was before the kitchen window again, and she looked outside longingly. Inside the nest it was drab and gray and cluttered to the ceilings with junk – outside the yard was messy, yes; but the fence was broken just beyond and the woods loomed endlessly outward. The sky was an unbroken pale blue. Russetstar longed to taste the fresh air, needed it like air in her lungs.

She pressed her paws against the glass. This time, instead of falling and shattering, it melted beneath her paws like dew in the sunshine. Russetstar felt cold, fresh air gust against her fur, and she took a deep lungful of it, sweet and new.

Russetstar leaped down from the window and into the long grass below. Her tail flicked and excitement coursed through her – _this_ was what it was like to be a cat! She pounced on a clump of grass, scattering seedlings with her paws. She rolled in the dirt, feeling cleaner than ever before. Her heart was beating in her ears but it wasn't with fear, it was with joy.

A black shape caught her eye, and Russetstar paused in her frolicking. "Nightstar?" she mewed.

The black tom, still skinny even in StarClan, nodded. "Russetstar," he mewed.

Embarrassment pricked Russetstar's pelt. She got to her paws and stood up straight before the former ShadowClan leader. Nightstar, if anything, looked amused.

"You have lost a life, Russetstar," Nightstar meowed.

Russetstar frowned. "I know," she murmured. She could still feel the ghost of Jaggedtooth's paw on her throat, shutting her out from life-giving air.

Nightstar touched his nose to her forehead. "You will return soon – but please, tell me: Do you recall the life I gave you?"

Russetstar blinked. "Yes: To embrace change, even when it is thrust upon me," she recited. She looked Nightstar evenly in the eyes. "That has been difficult to do, lately."

Nightstar nodded in understanding. "You are doing well, Russetstar," he promised. "I am proud of you. I know you will make the right choices for ShadowClan."

Russetstar flattened an ear, confused. "What do you mean?" she wondered. "And what of the battle? Can't you help -?"

But Nightstar was gone.

A fresh breeze blew through the backyard, filling up Russetstar's lungs until she thought she might burst. She closed her eyes and felt the breeze lift her paws up and up and up, until it seemed like she was flying.

* * *

"Get back!"

"Make me, Wolf."

"I said _get back!"_

Russetstar opened her eyes.

A wall of gray fur was standing before her. Wolf had his paws planted, his fur bristling with rage. Russetstar heard a gasp of shock, and she looked over her shoulder to see Pansy crouched above her. The she-cat's eyes were round with grief and now horror. Russetstar was touched by Pansy's presence but could only imagine the rogue's horror at a cat coming back from the dead.

"Y-You're alive!" breathed Pansy, looking about to faint.

"Fear not," Russetstar assured her, rasping, "this is normal." _For leaders, anyway._

Russetstar got to her paws. Beyond Wolf, Jaggedtooth narrowed his eyes. A flicker of surprise passed through those angry yellow depths – had Jaggedtooth thought Russetstar a leader in name only? Russetstar unsheathed her claws.

She rushed past Wolf, ignoring his yowl of shock. Russetstar crashed into Jaggedtooth, clamping her jaws hard around his throat before he could prepare a defense. His claws dragged at her pelt, but Russetstar dug her teeth into his skin until blood threatened to choke her. Jaggedtooth let out a ragged gasp and fell limp to the ground.

Russetstar did not release Jaggedtooth's throat until she was sure he was dead. Only when he stopped moving did Russetstar back off, spitting blood onto the earth.

All around the ShadowClan warriors were driving off Jaggedtooth's rogues. Their sight of their leader's dead body, not far from Viper's, was enough to send many of them scurrying at a full tilt along the Thunderpath. Russetstar glared after them, hoping silently that a monster might happen by and at least knock a few down.

Blackfoot sent Orre and Cedarheart to give chase. "Rout them back to their Twoleg alleys!" he commanded, his fur bristling with blood and scratches. "And mark their fences so they know who rules these woods!"

Russetstar did not have the energy to disapprove of Blackfoot's orders, even if she did. She kicked dirt over Jaggedtooth's body and spat, "May you rot in the Dark Forest, you worthless rogue!"

Still looking befuddled, Wolf kicked earth over him as well, muttering the same curse. Pansy joined him. Soon the whole battle party was kicking earth over Jaggedtooth, cursing his name in the Clan's memory. Russetstar only wished she'd gotten the chance to do the same to Brokentail or Bluestar.

Orre and Cedarheart soon returned, winded but looking proud. "They won't be coming back," Cedarheart declared gruffly.

"If they do," Russetstar rasped, "they will meet this same fate. I will not suffer outsider violence on my borders."

Blackfoot nodded approvingly, and a ripple of agreement passed through the Clan. Russetstar looked over Rowanpaw and Stonepaw, noting a gash on Stonepaw's brow that would turn into an impressive scar once it was seen to. Many of her Clan were wounded, but none of them looked tired – their eyes were aglow with triumph, and Russetstar felt their joy as if it were her own.

Russetstar's gaze rested on Wolf and Pansy. Both of them were covered in just as many scratches and bites, and Wolf's paws were soaked in Viper's blood. Nightwing nudged Pansy and congratulated her on a well-timed strike that had sent one of the rogues squealing for their mother. Blackfoot and Cedarheart both looked at Wolf approvingly as he pulled rogue fur from between his claws.

Russetstar wondered how Wolf and Pansy had felt, watching her die. They had obviously seen it happen, as they'd guarded her body until she woke. Had they felt hopeless? Scared?

"We need to return home," Russetstar declared. This was no time for thinking – the night was yawning on and there was much to do before she could think of sleep. "Blackfoot, I want a patrol to re-mark this border, all the way to the Twolegplace fences. Cover up their pitiful attempt at changing our borders."

"Really?" Blackfoot breathed. "Excellent – more prey for ShadowClan." He flicked his tail for Brownfoot and Nightwing, and after a small amount of hesitation had Wolf join the patrol. Wolf did not hesitate in accepting, his eyes hard.

Russetstar watched them go, thinking of just how far Wolf had come. Pansy brushed against her pelt, and Russetstar turned her attention to the rest of her Clanmates. With Pansy and Blackfoot by her side, Russetstar led her warriors home – sore, but filled with joy at their victory.

Jaggedtooth's body lay by the Thunderpath behind them, covered in loose dirt and open to the predators. If Russetstar had her way, the carrion birds would take his spirit to the Dark Forest, and she would never see him again.


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"_Brick… are you sure?"_

Wolf's words clawed at Russetstar's heart. He had never sounded so torn. The strangers – were they strangers now, really? They'd been with ShadowClan for almost a whole moon, and after the battle with Jaggedtooth's rogues three days ago they seemed more a part of the Clan than ever.

The rickety old ginger she-cat was finally able to walk on her paws, though Littlecloud stood right beside her, supporting her with his shoulder. "I feel it in my bones, Wolf," Brick rasped. Her body sagged with age. "This is as far as I go. I will stay with ShadowClan – you must go on without me."

Wolf's tail bristled, and Pansy looked down at her paws. Finch's eyes went wide.

"I don't want to go!" she shrieked.

Russetstar twitched an ear. Beside her, Blackfoot's tail thumped against the earth. Finch seemed like a very, very different cat now – she wiggled her way out from between Wolf and Pansy and stood beside Stonepaw and Rowanpaw. Her legs shook, but her green eyes – very like her father's, Russetstar noted – narrowed determinedly.

"They're my friends!" Finch stated. "I-I… I won't go!"

"Finch…" Pansy murmured, her eyes full of sorrow.

Wolf frowned. "We promised Russetstar, Finch," he meowed gravely. "We cannot use up any more of ShadowClan's resources. We… have to go."

Finch shook her head and pressed herself more firmly against the other apprentices. Her claws dug into the earth.

"Does Finch _really_ have to go, Mum?" asked Talonkit from between Tallpoppy's paws.

Tallpoppy hushed her kitten, but she looked at Finch with sorrow. Russetstar could see that she wasn't the only one – every cat in the Clan looked regretful at the thought of Wolf, Pansy, and Finch leaving them. Russetstar's heart ached. Had they really ingrained themselves so deeply into ShadowClan in such a short amount of time? How had that even happened so fast?

Russetstar looked up at the clear blue sky. A voice rang out in her ears – Nightstar: _"I know you will make the right choices for ShadowClan."_

Was this what he had meant?

Russetstar glanced at Blackfoot. Even with how confrontational Blackfoot and the visitors had been, they seemed like friendly rivals now, talking about the recent battle over prey and patrol. Russetstar had even caught Wolf and Blackfoot sparring, once. Blackfoot's face was hard to read but Russetstar could see in his eyes that seeing Wolf and Pansy and Finch go would hurt him, too.

Clearing her throat, Russetstar meowed, "Wolf… Pansy… you two have done great things for ShadowClan in your short time here." She flashed back to the battle, and how Pansy and Wolf had guarded her body from Jaggedtooth. "You are honorable cats. If you wish to leave, we will not stop you – and we will welcome you as friends should you ever return… however…"

Russetstar wrapped her tail over her paws. This would be her first big decision as leader and, strangely, it felt right.

"If you wish to stay with ShadowClan and become warriors, you would be most welcome," Russetstar declared.

Wolf's eyes widened. Pansy's tail curled, and she looked at the big gray tom. Russetstar could not see her expression – was she eager? Finch's jaw dropped.

"You… You Clan cats don't really like outsiders," Wolf stammered, his eyes still betraying his shock.

Russetstar's whiskers twitched. "The Clans are changing," she promised, remembering Tinystar's proposal. _It seems I've chosen my side._ "I was once a kittypet myself – and many ShadowClan cats here were not born Clan cats at first either. Any cat who can prove themselves are welcome in the Clans. I cannot promise an easy transition, but I can promise a life of honor and camaraderie."

Wolf looked down at his paws. Finch and Pansy both leaned in, waiting for his next words. Brick wavered beside Littlecloud, sitting down on her haunches. Her eyes were soft on Wolf, as if she knew what his decision would ultimately be. The rest of the Clan waited with baited breath, some kneading their paws in anticipation.

Finally, Wolf raised his head. "If… you would have us, we would be honored."

Russetstar smiled, a warm feeling spreading to her paws. She stood and leaped onto the Clanrock, striding to the very top with her tail held aloft. All eyes looked up to her – Wolf and Pansy and Finch looked shocked and eager at the same time.

"All cats of ShadowClan, listen here!" Russetstar called. Though she was making it up as she went along, the words that came from her jaws felt right: "Today I, Russetstar, ask both you and our warrior ancestors to look upon these cats – they have pledged themselves to ShadowClan, and I beseech you to accept them in earnest.

"Wolf, Pansy… do you promise to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life? Do you swear to learn the warrior code and defend its virtues?"

Russetstar waited while Wolf and Pansy hesitated. Pansy flicked Wolf with her tail and meowed eagerly, "Yes, Russetstar!"

"Yes," echoed Wolf.

Russetstar smiled. "Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your warrior names – you have much to learn, but you have proven yourselves worthy warriors of ShadowClan." Russetstar leaped down from the Clanrock and approached the two. She touched her nose to Pansy's forehead, breathing in her sweet scent.

"Pansy, from this moment forth you will be known as Pansytail," Russetstar decided. "ShadowClan honors your compassion and wit and I welcome you as a warrior."

Pansytail rubbed her muzzle against Russetstar's and stepped back. Russetstar paused, paralyzed by the sudden burst of affection from the tortoiseshell she-cat. That… was not how the ceremony went. Russetstar twitched it away with her whiskers before turning to Wolf and resting her muzzle on his forehead.

"Wolf… from this moment forth you will be known as Wolftooth," she meowed. "ShadowClan honors your strength and skill and I welcome you as a warrior."

Wolftooth dipped his head and licked Russetstar's shoulder before stepping back to stand with Pansytail. Russetstar glanced at her Clanmates, who were shifting on their paws. They were clearly confused about Russetstar's wording. _I'm winging it a little here,_ she admitted. _They haven't had full training but they're too old to be apprentices._

"Wolftooth, Pansytail – you will journey with me to the Moonstone at the earliest opportunity," Russetstar declared. "It is something every apprentice does. StarClan will accept you there. Until then you are a warrior, but warriors with a lot left to learn."

Wolftooth and Pansytail looked nervous, glancing at one another. But they both nodded, accepting her words.

Russetstar looked at Finch. "And, speaking of apprentices… Finch, come forward."

The small she-cat's eyes widened, and she padded up to Russetstar.

"Finch, until you earn your warrior name you will be known as Finchpaw," Russetstar declared. "Your mentor will be Nightwing."

Surprised, the black she-cat padded out from the crowd. She touched noses with Finchpaw.

"Nightwing will pass on her knowledge to you," Russetstar promised Finchpaw. "You will be her first apprentice, but I know she will teach you well."

The Clan erupted into cheers for the new additions: "Wolftooth! Pansytail! Finchpaw!"

Russetstar joined her voice to theirs. Pride swelled in her heart. ShadowClan had felt broken and small, but now… now it had a chance to grow away from its dark, shadowed past.

Now she had a chance to really make it _better._


	11. Chapter 10

**Russetstar's Resolve is over!**

**There are a few things I wish I had added to the novella in hindsight - exploring Russetstar's relationship with Bluestar and how it affected her, and adding in a scene or two battling Jaggedtooth's rogues might have benefited the story - but at the cost of keeping it to typical novella length (10 chapters). In the end, the story told what I think it needed to, though maybe those last few chapters could've been consolidated in order to make room for those other bits.**

**In the end it felt like Russetstar's relationship with Bluestar could be a novella of its own, and it wouldn't really fit in with the story of this novella. It may be a novella idea for the future.**

**And speaking of the future...**

**I'm still working on a backlog for Midnight. Once I have a suitable queue of chapters I'll begin posting. I can guarantee that it will begin posting by the end of the year - just not when, exactly. Not yet, anyway. It needs a little fine tuning still but the story is coming along well, in my opinion.**

**Thank you all for your support for the TB AU series. The TB AU will resume with Arc 2 and its first entry, Midnight!**

**-Twilight**

* * *

**Chapter 10**

_Moonlight shone coldly down on Fourtrees._ The other Clans had already arrived when Russetstar led ShadowClan down into the clearing, her tail and head held high. The nights were growing warmer now that newleaf was in full stride, and new leaves rustled on the branches of the four Great Oaks.

Several of her cats still bore scars of their fight with Jaggedtooth's rogues – other warriors commented on it, but ShadowClan kept their mouths shut, just as Russetstar had ordered. There was no need to betray a situation that affected none of them and, beyond that, was resolutely resolved.

Russetstar saw the other leaders already on the Great Rock and noted she was late. She trotted through the crowd and leaped onto the smooth boulder, quickly making her way up to stand with the other leaders. Thankfully, she wasn't panting.

Tallstar's voice called an end to the chatter, and his announcement began with sorrowful eyes: "WindClan has little to report – sadly, two of Ashfoot's kits died in a bout of whitecough that circled our camp. Thankfully it was routed before it became greencough."

Russetstar felt a prick of sadness for the lost kits. _Any Clan losing kits is a sad thing,_ she thought. _Especially those of a lost deputy._

Leopardstar dipped her head. "We, too, lost a Clanmate to greencough," she announced. "Mistlepaw, regrettably, did not make it." She turned her dappled head to Tallstar and meowed, "RiverClan thanks you for Barkface's aid nonetheless – without his herbs we would have lost many more."

Tallstar meowed, "It was no trouble – no cat deserves to die of sickness when others can help."

Russetstar frowned at Leopardstar, wondering if there was more to that story. Leopardstar was so proud that asking for help from another Clan seemed like the last thought on her mind. _She must have been very desperate,_ Russetstar decided.

"A great display of camaraderie," Tinystar agreed, flicking his tail. His icy eyes flicked between the three other leaders. Russetstar did not flinch when they rested on her. "ThunderClan has little to announce but I'm afraid I must ask – have you and your Clans given thought to my proposal?"

Below the Clans shifted nervously. Leopardstar shut her jaws, looking away from Tinystar. Tallstar's tail curled around his paws. Russetstar looked down at her Clanmates, towards a knot of apprentices. She spotted Finchpaw's pale fluff among them, with Stonepaw and Rowanpaw. The young she-cat looked excited to be around so many new cats, and when Rowanpaw whispered something into her ear Russetstar could not miss her wowed gasp.

Russetstar raised her head and meowed, "I have thought long about Tinystar's proposal, and I offer a proposal of my own – that kittypets, loners, and rogues looking to join the Clans must first prove themselves – to the Clans and to StarClan – before they are accepted."

Tallstar nodded his head. "I had a similar thought," he admitted. "Outsiders should train like apprentices, and go to the Moonstone. They must understand what sort of life we live, and whether or not they want to live it themselves."

"But is it worth training outsiders if they might leave?" asked a cat from the crowd. Russetstar leaned over the Great Rock and guessed it was a RiverClan cat.

"Hopefully such training would show them whether or not Clan life is worth it long before they become a drain on our resources," Tinystar pointed out. "If nothing else, screening them so would be better than letting in just anyone. We don't want warriors who don't want to be here."

Russetstar nodded in agreement, and Tallstar gave an amiable grunt. That only left…

"Leopardstar?" Tinystar's mew was encouraging. "What do you think?"

Russetstar felt her heart stop. If Leopardstar refused… it could cause a war between all the Clans, especially since WindClan, ShadowClan and ThunderClan were all on board with the idea. _She would be outnumbered if we tried to enforce it without a full decision._

Leopardstar's chin rose. "RiverClan accepts this new code," she decided stiffly. Her amber eyes burned into Tinystar.

Tinystar's tail flicked excitedly. "Wonderful!" he mewed. "I promise, Clans – this will bring about a new era for all of us."

Tallstar raised his voice: "Hear us, Clans! Hear us, StarClan! An addition to the warrior code has been made: That all Clans may accept kittypets, loners, and rogues into their ranks, so long as they train as apprentices do, prove their loyalty, and seek guidance at the Moonstone before they are made warriors. Let it stand for all time!"

"Let it stand for all time!" called the cats below.

_Let it stand for all time,_ Russetstar thought, looking down at her Clan. She felt proud and strong, the wind tugging at her fur as she realized that she had helped make this happen.

She looked up at the stars. _Let it stand for all time,_ she repeated, _and let it be known:_

_All the Clans will be stronger for embracing this change._


End file.
